Just Salad's new partnership is a slam dunk

Just Salad’s newest investor is a champion. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast The Week in Restaurants looks at the salad chain’s partnership with Jalen Brunson, a member of the NBA champion New York Knicks. We also discuss Red Lobster’s all-you-can-eat shrimp debacle, which is back in the news. And we talk about our analysis of restaurant sales over the past five years and what that says about the overall state of the industry. All that plus Tech Check from Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski. 00:00 – Introduction 00:58 – The Return of the Bagel Boom 05:05 – Jalen Brunson Invests in Just Salad 13:51 – Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp Lawsuit Returns 21:41 – Why Restaurant Traffic Is Falling 25:49 – Consumers Are Trading Up 32:21 – New Ways Restaurants Are Driving Traffic 33:34 – CREATE 2026 Event Spotlight 34:14 – Tech Check: Why Wall Street Hates Restaurant Tech 35:20 – Closing Thoughts Subscribe for weekly insights on restaurant industry trends, restaurant technology, franchise growth, and the business stories shaping foodservice. ---------------------------- Visit our website: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com _________________ Or follow us on: Facebook:   / restaurantbusiness   Twitter:   / rb_magazine   LinkedIn:   / about   Instagram:   / restaurantbusinessonline   TikTok:   / restaurantbusiness